WhatsApp has introduced ‘Incognito Chat’ for Meta AI, a new privacy-focused feature designed to allow users hold completely private conversations with artificial intelligence without even Meta having access to the chats.
The company disclosed this on Wednesday, May 13, in a post published on the official WhatsApp Blog, as it deepens its push toward AI-powered communication while attempting to reassure users over growing concerns around data privacy and surveillance.
“Ten years ago we brought the world end-to-end encryption and now we are extending this privacy to chats with Meta AI,” the company said.
Why they are introducing incognito chat with Meta AI
According to WhatsApp, the decision to introduce the feature comes as conversations with AI tools become increasingly personal, sensitive, and deeply integrated into people’s daily lives.
The company noted that users now rely heavily on AI assistants to ask questions involving finances, work, personal relationships, health concerns, and other confidential subjects that many people may not want stored, monitored, or exposed.
“Today we’re launching Incognito Chat with Meta AI, a new way to have completely private conversations with AI. Built on top of our Private Processing technology, Incognito Chat lets you talk to Meta AI in a way that is invisible to anyone else.”
WhatsApp explained that unlike several existing ‘incognito-style’ AI services where companies can still access incoming prompts and outgoing responses, the new feature is designed to ensure even Meta itself cannot view the conversations.
The company said chats started under the Incognito feature would remain temporary, private, and inaccessible to external parties, including the platform operator itself.
“When you start an Incognito Chat with Meta AI, you’re creating a private, temporary conversation that only you can see. Your messages are processed in a secure environment that even Meta cannot access. Your conversations are not saved and by default, your messages disappear — giving you a space to think and explore ideas without anyone watching.”
WhatsApp also revealed that it plans to expand the feature further in the coming months through a new functionality called ‘Side Chat,’ which would allow users privately interact with Meta AI inside existing conversations without interrupting the main discussion thread.
According to the company, the Side Chat feature would also be protected by its Private Processing technology, allowing users receive contextual AI assistance without sacrificing privacy.
Meta and its recent move with privacy
The announcement comes only days after Meta faced widespread criticism following the removal of end-to-end encryption for chats on Instagram, a controversial decision that reportedly took effect on May 8 and sharply divided privacy experts, child protection advocates, and cybersecurity analysts.
Meta had argued that only a small percentage of users were actively opting into the encryption feature, suggesting the company was shifting its focus toward broader platform functionality and AI integration.
But critics argued the move reflected a more complicated balancing act between privacy, advertising revenue, and AI development.
Victoria Baines, who spoke to the BBC, suggested that user communication data has become increasingly valuable for major technology companies.
“Social media platforms monetise our communications — our posts, likes and messages — so they can serve targeted advertising,” she said.
“And increasingly, companies like Meta are focusing on training AI models, for which messaging data can be extremely valuable. I think the decision is more complex,” Baines added.
The privacy debate around Meta’s platforms has intensified in recent months as the company aggressively integrates artificial intelligence across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
Recall that on April 21, TechMedia Africa reported that WhatsApp had introduced a subscription model for premium features, marking another strategic step toward monetising the globally popular messaging platform.
However, not everyone opposed Meta’s encryption rollback on Instagram.
Child protection charity NSPCC welcomed the decision, arguing that strong encryption can sometimes make it harder for authorities and safety organisations to detect abuse and harmful activity occurring on private messaging platforms.
“We are really pleased,” said Rani Govender, adding that end-to-end encryption “can allow perpetrators to evade detection, enabling the grooming and abuse of children to go unseen.”
Whether WhatsApp’s latest Incognito Chat feature is primarily about rebuilding trust, strengthening privacy protections, or creating a safer environment for the more than three billion people now using Meta’s platforms globally, the announcement once again highlights the increasingly delicate balance between artificial intelligence, monetisation, and user privacy in the modern digital age.